Photo: Parte de Pesca/FIS

CONARPESA raises the stakes and challenges SOMU

• Conarpesa and the Maritime Workers Union (SOMU) have maintained a conflictive relationship, marked by labor and union disagreements. Fernando Álvarez Castellano, president of Conarpesa, has expressed his determination not to yield to pressure from SOMU.

Conarpesa Suspends Shrimp Season Due to SOMU Threats

Fernando Álvarez Castellano, president of Conarpesa, announced the suspension of the start of the shrimp fishing season in national waters and ordered all crews to return home. He directly blamed the SOMU leadership, stating: "I will not accept threats from anyone, neither pressure nor bullying," as reported by Nelson Saldivia of Parte de Pesca.

"We already had people in Puerto Rosales preparing the trawlers after repairs, but SOMU started denouncing us, accusing us of wanting to pay less and disrupt social peace. Then they started with threats: that they were going to burn our boats, anything. Faced with this, I made the decision to order everyone to go home," Álvarez Castellano explained to Parte de Pesca.

The businessman reaffirmed that Conarpesa will not participate in the season as long as union threats persist: "I will not accept threats from anyone." However, he left open the possibility that if the staff wishes to negotiate directly with the company outside the union, Conarpesa would be willing to reach an agreement to avoid the loss of a month's work.

Conflictos previos con el SOMU

Álvarez Castellano recalled that the company had already faced conflicts with SOMU, which led to the early interruption of the harvest last year. "The only ones disrupting social peace are them. In Rawson, with people already on board, they went to bully them so they wouldn't leave. In the end, the boats were stopped and the crew members were out of work," he denounced.

In that context, he emphasized that he will not re-embark crews only for SOMU to intervene again and frustrate operations.

"They Want to See Who's Tougher"

The head of Conarpesa harshly criticized the SOMU leadership, headed by Raúl Durdos and Juan Navarro, accusing them of prioritizing their internal union affairs over the work of the sailors. "If they have a problem because they are in elections and want to see who is tougher, let them resolve it among themselves, but not against us," he stated.

He also assured that the accusations of "employer lockout" are unfounded, since it is SOMU that prevents the activity. "I give them the possibility to work, but if SOMU then bullies them and they get off the boats, then they should go and complain to them," he said, addressing the crew members.

Fresh Fish Fleet Will Sail, But with Conditions

Álvarez Castellano announced that his deep-sea fresh fish fleet will operate in national waters, although he warned that, in the face of any union obstacle, he will disembark the crew members and suspend activities.

"I don't want to be responsible for any conflict. We already had a very big one a few years ago and this time they won't catch me. When everyone agrees, I will assess whether we sail or not, depending on the numbers," he declared.

Meanwhile, the season for the freezer trawlers is suspended. "The fresh fish fleet has a different type of agreement, that's why I will send them out. But if they bully me, I will stop them immediately. At the first sign of trouble, I send everyone home and they can deal with the union," he stated.

"Every Day Stopped, People Lose Money"

The businessman emphasized that union conflicts generate irreversible losses for workers: "From Monday, every day that passes, people stop earning money. It doesn't affect me, because I simply stop losing, but let it be clear: don't come and accuse me of 'employer lockout'. All I'm trying to do is avoid what they want: chaos and conflict," he reproached.

One of the freezer trawlers in the CONARPESA fleet

Furthermore, he differentiated SOMU's attitude from that of other unions: "With Drivers and Captains there is dialogue, they are much more reasonable. But SOMU wants to use us as part of their internal union affairs and Conarpesa will not enter that game."

Possible Agreements Outside the Union

Álvarez Castellano left the door open for direct agreements with workers, without SOMU's intervention. "No one is obliged to negotiate only through the union. But in fishing, unfortunately, with SOMU it has always been like this, because if not, they bully them. I've been seeing the same thing for 30 years. The first time a quick and reasonable agreement was reached was in Rawson," he recalled, referring to the early start of the season in Chubut last year.

Part of CONARPESA's 'fresh' fleet

"We Are Going to End the Mafia"

Finally, the president of Conarpesa rejected any idea of a personal confrontation: "They say I'm at war, but I'm not at war with anyone. What I can't stand anymore is the bullying. I'm not doing an employer lockout, I'm stopping the operation because they threaten me, my boats and my people," he explained.

And he concluded with a forceful statement: "We already ended the mafia in Rawson. Now we'll see if we end the mafia of the trawlers."

Related News:

• Opening of shrimp fishing: Is it a strategy to renegotiate the 'Agreement' with the unions?

• Conarpesa Blames SOMU for Paralysis of its Shrimp Fleet in Rawson

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